What is ADHD? Beyond the SQUIRREL! Joke
You’ve probably heard it before — how people with ADHD are like a dog when it sees a squirrel: overexcited, hyperactive, and easily distracted. It’s become a common ‘joke’, especially among older adults when referring to younger generations with ADHD.
And usually, you’ll find that a lot of people will laugh. People think it’s funny, because that’s all they think ADHD is — that someone is easily distractible. If you Google “ADHD squirrel joke” — you’ll see pages of this joke, often posted by people who do not have ADHD themselves (examples below).
However, ADHD is so much more than the SQUIRREL! joke. The idea that ADHD is just distractibility or hyperactivity is a reductive stereotype that stops many people from being accurately diagnosed.
ADHD is more than just “SQUIRREL!” moments. It is a life-long learning and behavioural disability.
The Traditional View of ADHD
The traditional view of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) is as a behavioural disorder where people (usually children) are hyperactive, have difficulty focusing, and are highly distractible. It’s seen as ‘something you grow out of,’ and is believed to be more common in children assigned male at birth (AMAB) (Brown, 2019).
Note: Prior to 2013, ADHD and ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) were categorized as two separate conditions. With the release of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 2013, ADHD and ADD were reclassified as one condition, with three main presentations (formerly referred to as sub-types): Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder with combined presentation, predominantly inattentive presentation, or predominantly hyperactive-impulsive presentation (Low, 2020).
Deconstructing the ‘Traditional View’
ADHD is something you grow out of:
This is absolutely false. ADHD is a life-long diagnosis — no matter how much someone may want it to, it does not go away. As people with ADHD grow, it may appear as though they are exhibiting fewer ADHD characteristics. That’s because as people age and gain more experience about living with ADHD, they gain coping mechanisms and find ways to hide their ADHD characteristics that are not societally acceptable at school or in the workplace (Roggli, 2020).
ADHD is more common in children assigned as male:
This is also false. It is accurate to say that ADHD is three to four times more likely to be diagnosed in children who are assigned male at birth (AMAB), and that children who are assigned female at birth (AFAB) are less likely to be diagnosed (Ramtekker et al., 2010). Some studies suggest that it is due to ‘gender differences’ in how ADHD presents, and that there are distinct differences in ADHD in children assigned male versus those assigned female. However, many people living with ADHD feel that the ‘gender differences’ are a result of societal differences in regards to gendered expectations and opinions on ‘appropriate behaviour’ for children who are assigned female versus those assigned male (Rucklidge, 2010; Hasson and Fine, 2012). In general, children assigned female are expected to be quieter, less rambunctious, and politer than children assigned male (Jones and Myhill, 2010). These differences in expectations influence how children who are assigned female at birth behave and express themselves, as well as how ADHD is expressed through the children’s behaviour.
ADHD means hyperactivity, difficulties focusing, and distractibility:
This is somewhat true. While everyone’s experience with ADHD is different, having ADHD often does mean being hyperactive, having difficulties focusing, and being easily distractible. However, there’s also a lot more to having ADHD, which I will discuss in the following paragraphs. While reading, please remember that not everyone experiences ADHD in the same way — everyone’s experiences are different, and the following aspects of ADHD may or may not be present for everyone.
What ADHD Actually Entails
Executive Function Impairment:
A more modern understanding of ADHD is as an Executive Function Disorder (EFD). Executive function refers to the ability to achieve goal-oriented action. For most neurotypical people, it is relatively easy to set goals and visualize how to achieve those goals. This obviously varies by the type of goal and what is required to achieve it, but neurotypical people are generally able to organize and regulate their behaviour to achieve their desired goals. Neurodivergent people, such as those with ADHD, have difficulties with executive function, which makes it hard to achieve goals and regulate behaviour. It can be extremely difficult for a person with ADHD to get organized, start a task, finish a task, time blindness, remember things they’ve read or heard, avoid impulsive behaviour, and manage emotions (Brown, 2019).
In the eyes of others, Executive Function Impairment in someone with ADHD manifests as being chronically late, having unexpected emotional outbursts, forgetfulness, procrastination, laziness, lack of motivation, and weak organizational skills (Rodden, 2020). To those without ADHD or without a solid understanding of ADHD, this may be seen as purposeful behaviour, and therefore judged as character flaws. However, it is important to understand that people with ADHD are not behaving this way on purpose — in fact, most people with ADHD find these behaviours incredibly frustrating.
Having memory issues and can’t remember something important? Frustrating. Unable to make yourself do something that needs to be done? Frustrating. Acting impulsive and accidentally annoying people around you (or putting yourself into potentially dangerous situations)? Frustrating. Accidental emotional outbursts? Frustrating (and sometimes embarrassing). Most people with ADHD would choose to not behave like this if given an option, but there is a reason why ADHD is both a behavioural and learning disability — because a lot of the time, our behaviour and how it is interpreted is out of our control.
Memory Issues:
While briefly touched upon in regards to Executive Function Impairment, memory issues as a result of ADHD are so often unacknowledged that they need to be addressed.
One of the biggest problems with seeing ADHD as distractibility/hyperactivity is that the less-obvious symptoms of ADHD are ignored, to the detriment of those living with ADHD. Studies have shown that people with ADHD have short-term memory issues — often referred to as a ‘poor working memory’ (Kasper et al., 2012; Alderson et al., 2013).
A working memory is the ability to remember relevant information while completing tasks. For most neurotypical people, if someone gave them four tasks via verbal instruction, they could remember those instructions while completing the tasks. For people with ADHD, remembering four different verbal instructions while also trying to accomplish those instructions is almost impossible. Given that a good working memory is required for almost all avenues of life (school, work, etc.), it is important that ADHD-related memory issues are more widely discussed.
When it comes to education, many people with ADHD will say that they felt ‘dumb’ or ‘stupid’ while in school. Given that a good working memory is required to (a) remember what you’ve been taught, (b) pay attention, and (c) follow instructions, it explains why people with ADHD often struggle with school.
Sensory Processing Disorder:
Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is not always part of being ADHD, but does occur in approximately a third of people with ADHD (Ghanizadeh, 2010; Lane and Reynolds, 2019). Sensory Processing Disorder has three main expressions — under-responsitivity, sensory-seeking, and over-sensitivity (a.k.a. hypersensitivity).
Under-responsitivity is a slow response to sensory stimuli. For people with ADHD, this often presents as auditory under-responsitivity — meaning that the understanding and processing of spoken words or sounds is often delayed or more difficult.
Sensory-seeking refers to the need for constant or near-constant sensory stimulation. Not having enough stimulation can be uncomfortable or painful (Ghanizadeh, 2010). This is often expressed as constant movement or activity in a search for adequate stimulation — examples include chewing, fidgeting, bouncing knees or moving limbs, flapping hands or other constant hand gestures, etc. Sensory-seeking is common in people with ADHD and/or Autism.
Hypersensitivity refers to an increased awareness or sensitivity to physical (touch-, texture-, smell-, sight-, sound-, and taste-based) and/or emotional stimuli (Kessler, 2019). Emotional hypersensitivity in people with ADHD often presents as Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria and/or Emotional Distress Syndrome (discussed below).
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria:
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) is extreme emotional sensitivity to real or perceived rejection. For most neurotypical people, rejection is not fun — but for people with ADHD, it can be physically painful. When facing (or anticipating) real or perceived rejection, people with ADHD may experience an internal or external reaction (Dodson, 2020). Internally, RSD manifests as extreme pain (often similar to feelings of heartbreak). Externally, RSD may manifest as an immediate anger response (such as yelling at the person or situation causing the pain), or as withdrawal (emotionally or physically withdrawing from the person or situation).
People with ADHD who experience Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria often cope by becoming people-pleasers, perfectionists, procrastinators, or avoidists in an attempt to avoid or mitigate feelings of rejection.
Emotional Distress Syndrome:
Emotional Distress Syndrome (EDS) is not an inherent aspect of ADHD, but it is the result of being neurodivergent in an invalidating neurotypical environment and so often appears in people with ADHD (Ochoa, 2019). In general, society doesn’t understand how ADHD expresses itself in daily life, which means that many people view ADHD characteristics as personal flaws. People with ADHD may be seen as lazy, unmotivated, or disrespectful when they are unable to pay attention to or accomplish things that the neurotypical person views as easy or basic. For neurodivergent people living in a neurotypical society, every day is a struggle to meet predetermined standards that may not be achievable given the way our brains work. A lifetime of trying and continually failing to meet these standards means low-self esteem, feelings of imposter syndrome, a lack of belief in ourselves, emotional withdrawal, emotional outbursts or anger, depression, etc. Emotional Distress Syndrome occurs when these feelings of low self-esteem, self-doubt, and emotional outbursts become chronic and negatively impact daily life.
Self-Diagnosis
It is important to note that the aspects of ADHD discussed in this article do not apply to everyone. Some people with ADHD may only have a few of these characteristics, or they may have all of them. It is also important to understand that self-diagnosis of ADHD is valid — medical diagnoses are often inaccessible and/or unaffordable, especially in countries without universal healthcare. Racism in the medical field is also a major barrier to diagnosis, as Black and Latinx children are fifty to seventy percent less likely to be correctly diagnosed with ADHD (Morgan et al., 2013; Frye, 2020).
In addition, many medical professionals don’t understand the nuances of ADHD and how it presents in ways other than hyperactivity and distraction. Children and adults who present in more inattentive ways are often improperly diagnosed, or are ignored.
In Closing…
ADHD is more than just the SQUIRREL! joke. The idea that ADHD is just distractibility or hyperactivity is a reductive stereotype that misses so much of what ADHD is, how it is expressed, and what people with ADHD deal with every day. Living with ADHD can be hard, but it’s made harder when the people around you don’t understand.
When I first started this article, I pictured it more as a rant. It’s slowly morphed into an educational piece, but I hope that it proves useful for those who are ADHD, are self-diagnosed with ADHD, or are learning about ADHD for themselves or for others in their life. Regardless of whether you have ADHD or not, understanding that ADHD is so much more than the SQUIRREL! joke benefits us all.
